New Study Shows Most Drivers are Distracted on the Roads

May 28,2018

Distracted driving is dangerous. Over and over, studies show how just a few seconds spent looking at your phone instead of the road can result in a devastating accident. But that isn’t stopping drivers from using their mobile devices behind the wheel.

A new study from Zendrive reveals that drivers are using mobile devices 100 times more than previously thought. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 600,000 drivers were using their phones while driving. Zendrive puts that number around 69 million drivers.

Zendrive Analyzes Cell Phone Data for Distracted Driving Study

Zendrive’s data came from actual cell phone usage. Whereas other studies have been observational or based on survey results, Zendrive’s data comes from a 3-month analysis of 3 million anonymous drivers. The software company looked at 570 million trips, in which 3 million people drove 5.6 billion miles. The trips occurred between December 2016 and February 2017.

The results are startling. Drivers used their phones during 88% of the trips analyzed in the study. If applied to the entire country, that’s the equivalent of 600 million distracted trips a day. Moreover, the study shows that during an hour-long trip, drivers averaged 3.5 minutes on their phones. Considering that being distracted behind the wheel increases the likelihood of a crash by over 20 times, this is a distressing finding.

Are Distracted Driving Laws Working?

Zendrive’s study found mixed results when it came to the effectiveness of laws against drivers using handheld phones. At the state level, laws banning handheld phones appear to reduce the amount of time drivers use their phones. However, at the city level, the results are murkier. For example, California has a ban on handheld cell phone use by drivers. Yet, of the cities across the U.S. involved in the study, Los Angeles ranked as the most distracted city.

“The results of this new study are eye-opening. We simply cannot ignore the rampant problem of distracted driving,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an auto accident and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, El Centro, and Yucca Valley, and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.